After some serious consideration, you’ve finally made up your mind. Whether you’ve got tiny humans, furry creatures, or just clumsy adults at your home, you’ve concluded that your new sofa or other upholstered seating needs to have the protective qualities of performance fabric. But which one? Today we’re comparing and contrasting two of the most popular performance fabrics on the market – Revolution Fabric’s olefin vs Sunbrella and other acrylics!
Are you in a bind because you can’t figure out whether olefin or acrylic is right for you? Here at Woodstock Furniture & Mattress Outlet, our upholstery experts have literal centuries of combined experience when it comes to upholstered seating.
Well, come with us and we’ll show you the ropes…er…fibers. By the end of this short upholstery fabric comparison, you’ll know what acrylic and olefin are, as well as their ideal uses.
A Disclaimer on Olefin & Acrylic Performance Fabrics
But first, a short disclaimer. Today’s discussion is a comparison of acrylic fabric and olefin fabric.
The brand name Sunbrella, much like Kleenex or Jell-O, has become synonymous with the product itself. This is because Sunbrella is by far the most popular acrylic fabric brand, in addition to being perhaps the most well-established performance fabric brand ever. Often times, customers may not know about acrylic fabric, but they will ask about Sunbrella.
While Revolution Fabrics is less known than Sunbrella, they are far-and-away the leading producer of olefin upholstery fabrics. As you read on, please note that our advice and conclusions aren’t limited to these two brands, but can be generally applied to other 100% olefin and 100% acrylic fabrics.
Olefin vs Sunbrella | The Similarities
Let’s start with a short discussion on the fibers themselves.
The truth is that these two performance fabrics are very similar. So much so, let’s call them fabric cousins. Both olefin (also known as polypropylene fiber) and acrylic are indoor/outdoor fabrics made of synthetic polymers. Additionally, both types of fibers are solution-dyed.
But what is solution-dyed and why does it matter? It means that the dye is actually part of the fibers themselves. Since these fabrics are artificial, or man-made, the manufacturer can introduce the dye as they create the individual polymer fibers. This makes both of these fabrics incredibly resilient to color fading, wear, rub-off, or transfer. Thanks to this, you can easily treat stains on both fabrics at home with a simple bleach and water solution without worry.
In addition to being resistant to fading and staining, both acrylic and olefin are water-resistant, quick-drying and anti-microbial. Due to the way these synthetic fabrics are made, they don’t absorb liquids as quickly or easily as other upholstery fabrics. And when they do, they tend to dry quicker. This is important because odor-causing bacteria, mold, and mildew love moisture. When fabrics either repel liquid or dry quickly, it denies these microbes a place to grow and flourish.
Both olefin and acrylic fabrics are an improvement over traditional upholstery fabrics in all of these ways. However, if they do the same things, why bother comparing Revolution Fabrics / olefin vs Sunbrella / acrylic at all?
Olefin vs Sunbrella | The Differences
For their many similarities, there are a few seemingly-minor differences when it comes to olefin vs Sunbrella. However, these small differences may make a huge impact depending on your intended use.
First, while both olefin and acrylic are water-resistant and quick-drying, only acrylics like Sunbrella are truly liquid-repellent. This means is that water or other liquid will literally bead up on the surface of the fabric. While Revolution Fabric and other olefins are superior to typical fibers like linen or cotton in this regard, water won’t really bead up. This means that acrylic is a bit better against mold and mildew too. Acrylic performance fabric is also a little better when it comes to fading.
Second, while many acrylic fabrics can be somewhat stiff or rough to the touch, olefin is significantly softer. Additionally, while not quite as good with liquids, olefin is generally harder to stain. While not indestructible, olefin is also a bit more durable as it’s more resistant to punctures, rips and tears.
The most concise way to sum up these differences is this – Sunbrella or acrylic is best as an outdoor fabric that can also be used indoors, while Revolution or olefin is primarily an indoor fabric that can be used outdoors.
Sunbrella’s best features, like superior water repellency and resistance to fading, are most useful when it comes to porch, sunroom, poolside or patio furniture. By contrast, olefin’s distinguishing features, like a softer feel and improved tear-resistance, make it slightly more at home in a pet owner or parent’s living room, for example.
The Case for Sunbrella / Acrylic Performance Fabric
If the following benefits are most important to you, go with an acrylic fabric like Sunbrella…
- Are you looking for the best colorfastness and UV fade-resistance on the market?
- Is it critical that your new upholstery repel liquid like water off a duck’s back?
- Do you want something incredibly resistant to mold and mildew?
- Is it important to be able to treat stains simply with only bleach and water?
If so, an acrylic performance fabric is just what you need. Go with a Sunbrella or similar 100% acrylic upholstery fabric. Nuvella, Outdura, and CushionGuard are a few other popular acrylic performance fabrics brands.
The Case for Revolution / Olefin Performance Fabric
However, if the features below sound more important to you, you should consider a 100% olefin performance fabric from Revolution Fabrics…
- Do you want a true indoor/outdoor fabric that’s just as soft and comfortable indoors as out?
- How about even better durability, puncture, tear and wear-resistance?
- What about improved stain-resistance, while still being colorfast, cleanable with bleach solution, anti-microbial and quick-drying?
Was your answer to any of these questions was “yes”? If so, Revolution Fabric or another olefin performance fabric is probably an even better fit for you.
We Have Answers to All Your Upholstery & Performance Fabric Questions
If you’ve got general questions about what is performance fabric and what does it do, the experts at Woodstock Furniture & Mattress Outlet have you covered. However, if you’re still not certain that Sunbrella (acrylic) or Revolution Fabric (olefin) are the right performance fabric for you, read our helpful info on the 3 categories of performance fabric, which also include treated performance fabrics like Crypton and LiveSmart.
If you’re in North Georgia or metro Atlanta area, come visit us at our locations in Acworth, Dallas/Hiram and Rome!